Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

Hi phrontister

I thought MIF added the extra clue so that it wouldn't have three solutions...

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

Hi stefy,

I very carefully came up with the changes intended to achieve a unique solution, to which Bob agreed and which MIF subsequently adopted. See posts #34, #40, #46, #52, #55, #58 and #62-#67 of that other thread.

Maybe pRo9aMeR has another solving method that somehow has identified multiple solutions that Bob's method and mine didn't reveal...or we overlooked something.

"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

Maybe...

Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most. ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and PunishmentThe knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

Hi all,

Uh-oh! Yes, there are two solutions! Grumble...thought I'd fixed that.

Anyway, well spotted, pRo9aMeR. And yes, all is ok until the fork, from which there is no logical move to continue.

I'm looking at coming up with a fix...again! Got some options in mind (including an obvious one and a humorous one), and am just assessing which is the most devious and that it gives a unique solution.

May take a little while, though.

Last edited by phrontister (2013-01-11 12:08:41)

"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

I made just one real alteration - to clue 21 (now clue 10) - but also did some renumbering to separate two pairs of closely-related clues.

The solution is different from both previous ones, but the solving process near the end is now more interesting.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The person in the middle watches Desperate Housewives 2. Bob is the first in the queue 3. The person who watches the Simpsons is next to the person who lives in a youth hostel 4. The person going to Africa is behind Rachael 5. The person who lives in a village is 52 6. The person who is going to Australia has straight hair 7. The person travelling to Africa watches Desperate Housewives 8. The 14-year-old is at the end of the queue 9. Amy watches Eastenders10. Eilish doesn't live on a farm11. The person heading to Italy has long hair12. Keeley lives in a village13. The 46-year-old is bald14. The fourth in the queue is going to England15. The people who watch Desperate Housewives & Neighbours are standing next to each other16. The person who watches Coronation Street stands next to the person with an afro17. The 21-year-old lives in a youth hostel18. The person who watches Corrie has long hair19. The 81-year-old lives on a farm20. The person who is travelling to France lives in a town21. A person next to Rachael has an afro

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

well done phronister! Now there is one and only one solution!

I got the same answer as Bob as well.

One thing that has bugged me about this puzzle, though, is the fact that curly hair is never mentioned in the clues.I'm not gonna try and mess up what has finally been cleared up now. Maybe in the future when I'm bored...

Nonetheless, phronister GG!

And a quick question - Has anyone else completed my "Who Has the Purple Door?" puzzle besides phronister?I had updated the OP in that thread with the (hopefully) final changes but there hasn't been a response.phronister, maybe you could double check that it's still good enough; I'd like it to be posted on MIF to see how my puzzle fairs in the rest of the world.

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

I felt really bad about you being bugged about 'curly hair' not getting a mention in the clues ( ), so here's another version to fix that.

The only answer not mentioned in the clues now is 'city', which is fine.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The person in the middle watches Desperate Housewives 2. Bob is 46 3. The person who watches the Simpsons is next to the person who lives in a youth hostel 4. The person going to Africa is behind Rachael 5. The person who lives in a village is 52 6. The person who is going to Australia has straight hair 7. The person travelling to Africa watches Desperate Housewives 8. The 14-year-old is at the end of the queue 9. Amy watches Eastenders10. Eilish doesn't live on a farm11. The person heading to Italy has long hair12. Keeley lives in a village13. The 46-year-old is bald14. The fourth in the queue is going to England15. The people who watch Desperate Housewives & Neighbours are standing next to each other16. The person who watches Coronation Street stands next to the person with an afro17. The 21-year-old lives in a youth hostel18. The person who watches Corrie has curly hair19. The 81-year-old isn't going to England20. The person who is travelling to France lives in a town21. A person next to Rachael has an afro22. The person who watches Neighbours has long hair-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would you, and anyone else too, please check it to make sure that I haven't made a mistake and that there is only one solution. If people are happy with it we probably should then ask MathsIsFun to replace the faulty version on the puzzle page with this one.

I haven't re-checked the Purple Door puzzle yet, but I will. Not sure when, though, but I'll try not to leave it too long.

It's a very tough puzzle - the toughest of these that I've done - and, like you, I'm interested to see how it's received by others.

"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

Hi Bob,

I don't know if you've tried my latest version in post #13, but if you haven't I wonder if you'd mind giving it a go - if you're not too over this one already, that is - so that we can put it up to MathsIsFun as being a replacement for the faulty one on the puzzle page...once and for all!!

Ta!

"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

hi Phro,

Yes, I've been meaning to but other things keep popping up. That's the trouble with being retired ... no time to do all the things I've been planning. When will I ever learn to play like Mark Knopfler?

This evening, (GMT) I will do it. (the puzzle that is; not learn to play like .....)

Bob

You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei

Re: two possible solutions for Who Lives in the City? Einstein Puzzle

We've finally sorted out the problem of this puzzle having two solutions (which we thought we'd fixed last year but pRo9aMeR recently proved us wrong).

The following amended version, which also appears in post #13, has a single solution (see the hide box).

Bob, pRo9aMeR and I have checked and verified it, and I wonder if you'd like to use it to fix the faulty version on the puzzle page here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The person in the middle watches Desperate Housewives 2. Bob is 46 3. The person who watches the Simpsons is next to the person who lives in a youth hostel 4. The person going to Africa is behind Rachael 5. The person who lives in a village is 52 6. The person who is going to Australia has straight hair 7. The person travelling to Africa watches Desperate Housewives 8. The 14-year-old is at the end of the queue 9. Amy watches Eastenders10. Eilish doesn't live on a farm11. The person heading to Italy has long hair12. Keeley lives in a village13. The 46-year-old is bald14. The fourth in the queue is going to England15. The people who watch Desperate Housewives & Neighbours are standing next to each other16. The person who watches Coronation Street stands next to the person with an afro17. The 21-year-old lives in a youth hostel18. The person who watches Corrie has curly hair19. The 81-year-old isn't going to England20. The person who is travelling to France lives in a town21. A person next to Rachael has an afro22. The person who watches Neighbours has long hair-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do." - Ted Nelson